


Diplomacy

by Origami_Roses



Series: Anur's Anecdotes [1]
Category: Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar
Genre: Friends Across Borders, Gen, MueraRashaye, not my OCs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 13:18:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13788552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Origami_Roses/pseuds/Origami_Roses
Summary: This fic assumes the reader to already be somewhat familiar with Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar. It is based on MueraRashaye’s excellentFriends Across Bordersseries, which tells all about Kir and Anur’s other adventures. I have left out a LOT of background information on those two, so there are references to things here that are not explained in this fic. I highly recommend reading Friends Across Borders at some point, but warn you it is a seriously epic-length saga, and if you are as compulsive a reader as I am, I suggest you set aside at least a day… preferably when you have nothing to do the next morning so that the sleep deprivation of binge reading till 4:30 in the morning doesn’t get you in trouble. ^^; If you haven’t time to read the whole thing,here’s the chapter that inspired this little head canon,(specifically the sparring match near the end)





	Diplomacy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MueraRashaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MueraRashaye/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Redefining a Firestarter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063929) by [MueraRashaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MueraRashaye/pseuds/MueraRashaye). 



> This fic assumes the reader to already be somewhat familiar with Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar. It is based on MueraRashaye’s excellent [Friends Across Borders](http://archiveofourown.org/series/64670) series, which tells all about Kir and Anur’s other adventures. I have left out a LOT of background information on those two, so there are references to things here that are not explained in this fic. I highly recommend reading Friends Across Borders at some point, but warn you it is a seriously epic-length saga, and if you are as compulsive a reader as I am, I suggest you set aside at least a day… preferably when you have nothing to do the next morning so that the sleep deprivation of binge reading till 4:30 in the morning doesn’t get you in trouble. ^^; If you haven’t time to read the whole thing, [here’s the chapter that inspired this little head canon,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3063929/chapters/20113594) (specifically the sparring match near the end)

Herald Anur Bellamy and Incendiary Kir Dinesh had arrived late the previous evening with the contingent of Karsite Priest-mages sent by Solaris, the Son of the Sun, to aid Valdemar in their ongoing fight against the despotic King Ancar of Hardorn. After the usual interminable diplomatic greetings, having seen the mages settled into the rooms given for their use, Kir and Anur retired to Anur’s permanent quarters in the Herald’s wing.  
Anur dropped his packs with a sigh. “We’ll meet with the Queen and council first thing in the morning after being officially presented at court. And I’m sure Herald-Chronicler Myste will track us down shortly after that.” Another heavy sigh. “I hate being here at Court. … though, at least here it’s just politics, no messy religious revolutions involved.”  
Kir smiled at the running joke, feeling Anur’s ironically mordant amusement through their mental link, and sent back wordless reassurance. With his Shieldbrother beside him, they’d survive whatever Haven threw at them… even if it took lighting the palace on fire. “Then we’d best get some rest.”

The next morning, on their way to present themselves at Morning Court, Anur realized he had left an important document in the room, and sprinted back to retrieve it. Kir followed more slowly, both amused and concerned at how tightly wound Anur’s nerves were. He had known Anur was nervous about returning to the capitol city of Haven, but had not quite realized how much. Very similar to his own reaction to Sunhame, he mused, as he waited just outside the door as Anur frantically ransacked his saddlebags for the message tube. And, unfortunately, for many of the same reasons. Haven was not the notorious viper pit Sunhame had been before Solaris’ Ascent, but there were venomous snakes here, too, and other pitfalls as well. He hated politics, too. In that aspect, as in many others, he and Anur were well matched. No wonder they both preferred Border postings with the guard units of their respective countries, where enemies were blatantly Enemies, and brothers were Brothers you could count on. 

The door to the next room over opened, and Kir glanced over to see another Herald emerge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Herald Bob was not happy. He did not like all the foreign folk in and around the palace with their outlandish costumes, strange customs and incomprehensible accents. And that was just the human ones. So when he exited his room, and found one of them standing in the hall _of the Herald’s wing, just outside his door_ he was not pleased. Not at all. This was supposed to be a semi-private area. For Heralds. Only.  
The stranger turned to look at him, apparently unconcerned that he was trespassing. Bob couldn’t help himself. “What are you doing here? This is the Herald’s wing! Not for the likes of you! Get out!” He rather enjoyed the shocked look on this stranger’s face.  
A vaguely familiar voice from the next room asked “Kir? What’s going on?” followed shortly by a much too familiar face.  
“Anur” Bob hissed. The traitorous Herald had been welcome in his absence for the last few years. Bob had half hoped the absence would become a permanent one. Yet here he was. And dragging along more so-called-friends to betray them all.  
Anur grimaced as he saw the cause of Kir’s sudden spike of panic. One of the less tolerant Heralds, and one of Dirk’s more rabid defenders as well. Not someone he had wanted to run into, but he forced himself to be polite. “Bob. Calm down. Kir’s with me. It’s fine.” It wasn’t. Kir’s mental distress had lessened, but he was still on edge. So was Anur, to be honest. The sight of Dirk rounding the corner at the far end of the hall didn’t help, either.  
Bob sneered. “Oh, certainly. Fine, indeed. It looks like your choice in friends is as poor as ever.” Anur stiffened. “Who are you planning to harm this time, you bastard?’  
Anur’s sudden smile was a little too full of teeth, “I don’t know… maybe … you?” in a voice of ice-coated steel.  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bob’s Companion was whispering that he had crossed some line he shouldn’t have, but he was too angry to listen. As weak as his Mindspeech was, it was very easy to ignore. So he glared right back at Anur, opening his mouth to challenge the bastard, when suddenly Anur smirked, and Bob’s boots twisted impossibly sideways, upsetting his balance and sending him crashing to the floor as the icy voice continued: “And my choices in friends improved significantly the day I stopped counting _you_ among them.”  
With that Anur turned on his heel and stalked off, his foreign friend right beside him. Bob, gasping for breath, head reeling from impact, heard Anur bark a laugh at something his friend said in whatever gods-forsaken tongue before replying in the same. A hand appeared before his face, and he used it to haul himself up as Dirk asked “What in the world was that about?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kir had been relieved when Anur appeared in the door, message tube in hand. They could be on their way. He wasn’t sure how to handle this surprisingly belligerent Herald, short of setting his hair on fire - probably not a good idea, given he was technically a diplomatic envoy of sorts. Unfortunately, it appeared Anur knew the man… and that he was one of those reasons Anur disliked being in Haven for any length of time.  
“It seems your choice in friends is as poor as ever. Who are you planning to harm _this_ time, you bastard?’  
Kir felt Anur’s hurt and anger as he stiffened at the man’s barbed insult. Kir also recognized Anur’s suddenly predatory smile as he replied “I don’t know… maybe … you?”  
: _Anur:_ Kir sent : _I don’t think your usual Homicidal Maniac routine is the best choice for dealing with a fellow Herald:_  
Anur smirked, and with a twist of his mind Fetched Bob’s boots sideways, pulling his feet out from under him and sending him sprawling. “And my choices in friends improved significantly the day I stopped counting _you_ among them.”  
Anur turned to stalk off, and Kir followed. “That was unexpected. At least you didn’t stab him”  
Anur barked a laugh, anger dissipating as he replied “He’s not an acolyte.”

**Author's Note:**

> Mercedes Lackey owns Valdemar and all rights thereunto. I’m just visiting her world to play. MueraRashaye owns Kir and Anur (and, IMO, a fair chunk of Karse). I’m just borrowing them as playmates for a brief moment.


End file.
